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Best Quickie Makeover

(Photo: Courtesy of Sarah Mechling/Rouge)

Rouge New York

130 Thompson St., nr. Prince St.; 212-388-1717

Thanks to the recent blow-dry-bar boom, New Yorkers are well versed in the concept of a $40 night-out coif. Now there’s a similar service for getting a flawless mug. Founded by Law & Order: SVU star Stephanie March and her on-set makeup artist Rebecca Perkins, this cosmetics salon offers a menu of 30-minute makeover options. “You … Only Better” ($50) is a minimal look, which involves Perkins applying a dusting of contouring powder to cheekbones and hiding blemishes with a brush dabbed in concealer. “Total Polish” ($75) incorporates bolder finishes like a bright-red lip. The products are
a mix of drugstore standbys (L’Oréal Voluminous mascara) and boutique brands (Julie Hewett lipsticks), all of which are for sale. Proof that the makeup-bar trend is already taking
off: Pucker (129 Grand St., nr. Crosby St.; 212-334-3690), which opened shortly after Rouge, in February, offers similar services with the addition of a downstairs locker room where office-to-drinks customers can store clunky bags and boots overnight.

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So what exactly does “best” mean in a city with thousands of pizza joints, hundreds of celebrity masseuses, and museum-worthy concept shops on every corner? Well, in the case of this, our annual “Best of New York” roundup, there’s a heavy emphasis on what’s new or what has somehow remained virtually unheard of (until now, of course).